Cozumel
Isla Cozumel
Mexico's largest Caribbean island and part of the Mesoamerican Reef. Its drift dives over the Palancar Reef are world-class, and it is a major cruise port.
Cozumel lies about 18 km offshore from Playa del Carmen. The island is about 48 km long and 16 km wide, and it is the largest inhabited island in the Mexican Caribbean. The ancient Maya regarded it as a sacred place of Ixchel, the goddess of fertility. Maya women were expected to make a pilgrimage here by canoe at least once in their lives. The San Gervasio ruins in the center of the island were the pilgrimage center of that time. After French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau filmed here in the 1960s, Cozumel became a world-famous diving destination. The southwest side of the island is part of the Cozumel Reefs National Park, which is the second-largest coral reef system in the world. It is part of the Mesoamerican Reef. Dive sites such as Palancar Reef, Columbia Reef and Santa Rosa Wall are known for their steep coral walls, coral tunnels and strong currents. On drift dives, you float along the current and may see sea turtles, manta rays, nurse sharks and giant sea fans. Visibility often exceeds 30 metres. If you don't dive, you can snorkel at Chankanaab Park or Playa Palancar. The east coast is a wild, undeveloped shoreline, ideal for riding a motorcycle around the island (about 70 km). The town of San Miguel has a seafront avenue and restaurants. Getting there: take the Ultramar or Winjet ferry from Playa del Carmen. The trip takes about 45 minutes, and the one-way fare is around 20 US dollars or less. Flights also arrive from Cancún, and US cruise ships dock here. On cruise days (usually 3 to 6 ships), the town is extremely crowded.
Opening hours
Open all day; ferries approx. 07:00–22:00
Nearby sights
- Chankanaab Park, Cozumel
- Xcaret Park
- Parque Fundadores & Portal Maya
- Playa del Carmen Beach (Playa Mamitas)
- Quinta Avenida (5th Avenue), Playa del Carmen
- Xenses Park
- Xplor Park
- Río Secreto